Happy fall, Pacific Northwest Section PGA Professionals!
I hope you’ve all enjoyed a great season. As fall settles in and winter approaches, we’ve been fortunate to experience an extended stretch of beautiful weather across our Section—and it sounds like rounds played are up again this year. Golf remains as strong as ever throughout the Pacific Northwest, and that’s a testament to the dedication, creativity, and professionalism of our nearly 1,400 PGA Members who continue to grow the game and serve their communities every day.
As I write this message, I’ve just wrapped up a Hall of Fame Committee meeting. It’s that time of year when committees across our Section are hard at work, and I want to take a moment to thank all of you who volunteer your time and energy to serve. Your engagement helps make our Section—and our Association—stronger.
Every time I participate in Hall of Fame discussions, I’m reminded of the incredible legacy of our Pacific Northwest PGA Professionals. The careers, leadership, and lifelong contributions of our members have paved the way for generations in this industry. It’s always inspiring to review those stories and celebrate the achievements and impact of our peers year after year.
I also want to extend my best wishes to our teams competing this week in the 77th Annual Hudson Cup. Congratulations to all the top players who qualified—what a tremendous accomplishment! Thank you for representing our nearly 1,400 Pacific Northwest PGA Professionals with excellence. I look forward to celebrating your achievements this week.
In the spirit of team competition, I’d be remiss not to share a few reflections from this year’s Ryder Cup. My wife, her parents, and I were fortunate to attend all three days at Bethpage Black, and it was an unforgettable experience. The energy on Sunday was electric as Team USA made its push—and even though we came up just short, it was golf at its highest level and a reminder of what makes this game so special.
As you may have seen, the PGA of America recently shared a message with Section leaders acknowledging some of the feedback received following the event. Their response reflects the professionalism and transparency that define our Association—listening, learning, and striving for continual improvement.
There were, unfortunately, some isolated instances of poor fan behavior that do not reflect the values of our sport or many passionate, respectful fans who created such an exciting atmosphere throughout the week. The Ryder Cup continues to be a source of immense pride for PGA Members, and I know future events will continue to uphold the high standards we all share.
As I mentioned in my last article, I want to continue sharing perspective on how the Pacific Northwest Section measures up nationally—and once again, the news is good.
When it comes to professional development, our Section remains a national leader. We host one of the largest education programs in the country, offering more than 40 Stay Involved webinars each year, along with our popular Sweet 16 education series and countless Section- and Chapter-level programs. We’re also recognized for our Mentoring Conference, which brings experts from across the country to engage directly with our members—helping develop skills, build connections, and share best practices. Nationally, our professional development programming is a model to our peers and colleagues across the other forty sections.
In last month’s article, I discussed our tournament program and how the Pacific Northwest ranks among the very top of the list of high-performing Sections nationwide. I received valuable feedback and thoughtful questions from several professionals regarding tournament payouts, G&A expenses, and the overall importance of tournaments to our members.
This year, roughly 500 professionals participated in at least one Section event—and about 17.8% of our members played in more than one event. These numbers show strong engagement while also helping us identify opportunities for continued growth and enhanced member value. The Tournament Committee is currently reviewing our performance and developing key questions for our upcoming strategic planning session. The Board of Directors will review those findings and determine how best to integrate them into our Section Strategic Plan as we look ahead.
I believe the key driver of our Section’s ongoing success lies in our alignment with our PNWPGA Strategic Plan, which mirrors the PGA of America’s North Stars. This alignment ensures that we serve the whole golf professional—supporting growth across all areas of our strategic pillars, from professional development and employment services to player development and tournaments.
Our Chapters are now deep in their strategic planning and budgeting cycles, and our Section planning will culminate at the Winter Planning Meeting on December 6th. These efforts reflect our continued commitment to being forward-thinking, collaborative, and member focused.
As we close out the year, I’m incredibly proud of what our Section continues to accomplish and the example our members set across our five Chapters. Thank you for your hard work, leadership, and commitment to elevating our profession.
Wishing you all the best for a strong finish to the golf season. I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming meetings and events.